. >> members elect raise your right hands and repeat after me. >> reporter: with that, california's new assembly was sworn in today with democrats dominating with 55 of the 80 members. families with young children crowded the floor with the rest of the family often waving on from up above. freshmen assemblyman frank bigelow from madera county said he was humbled by the whole process. >> yesterday i was slogging in the mud feeding cows and today here i am being sworn in as a representative of the people of the state of california. >> reporter: with the largest freshman class since 1934, the first couple of years could be rocky with so many lacking experience. even senate president darrell steinberg says it took him a while when he was elected in 1998. >> i didn't really learn how to be a legislator until my fifth or sixth year in the assembly. that's how long it took me until i really understood it, understood the relationship between the two houses, the executive branch, all the nuances that make you more effective. >> reporter: but the newest members argue their new perspective is exac